


Wait for me to come home

by TheRomanticSadist



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Bittersweet, Emotional kisses, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift Giving, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, No Spoilers, hand holding, no trk spoilers, post-BLLB, post-trk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6659851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRomanticSadist/pseuds/TheRomanticSadist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of wishing, of dreaming, of working, Adam Parrish has finally made it. He's going to college, he's getting out of Henrietta, and he will become his own man. Ronan Lynch helps him pack up the last of his things, but before Adam leaves, Ronan needs to give him one last thing. True feelings are revealed and final words are said.</p><p>Note: NO TRK SPOILERS. I've set this after TRK, but as this was planned before the book release, it has no correlation with the events of the book.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wait for me to come home

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Sad kiss given by [El](http://ronansxrgent.tumblr.com)  
> I ended up making it a little fluffier oops?  
> Thank you SO so much to [Kim](http://rryoutah.tumblr.com) for beta-reading because I've literally been bugging her all day about it and I made her cry with this :') I promise it's not that sad....
> 
> Though this is set after TRK, there are **no spoilers** for it. The only possible spoilers is [this tweet](http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/post/13300251677)by Maggie regarding air, cabeswater and Ronan. If you don't know what I'm talking about and don't wanna be spoiled AT ALL, please don't read this.  
>  Otherwise, this was pre-planned months ago, speculation and none of it correlates to the events of TRK

“All packed, Parrish?”

“Not like there’s a lot.”

Ronan leant against the entrance to the bathroom, studying the few boxes that Adam had. College started soon, but Adam had wanted to go slightly earlier in order to get settled down on campus and perhaps scout out a job he could hold down at the same time. Thanks to his scholarships, he wouldn’t have to have three jobs anymore. Peeking out of one of the boxes, Ronan spotted a familiar tub of hand cream. He snorted; this time Adam had requested it.

Sitting on the mattress, Adam sighed and leant back on his hands. He stared up at the slanted roof. How many times he had accidentally hit his head on that, he had lost count by now. An easy smile remained on his face, and the tired lines seemed to drip off as he did. Ronan relaxed and crossed his arms, studying him. 

That easy smile which Ronan knew would occur more often made his heart jump for two reasons. The first was the knowledge that finally, Adam would get what he had been working so hard to achieve and secondly, the knowledge that he wouldn’t be there to witness that smile much longer. 

Whoever said knowledge was power was an asshole.

For Ronan, Henrietta was home and he was a king. For Adam, he was a hostage.

“I can’t believe it,” Adam laughed through his nose. He let his hands cover his face, muffling his words. “I’m… I’m finally leaving.”

Ronan’s heart tightened in his chest. He swallowed and turned away. Chainsaw cawed at him from Adam’s windowsill and he shot her a glare. This was not a time to be selfish. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Adam smiling through his fingers. Though half hidden, it seemed to make the room’s atmosphere a lot lighter. 

For as long as Ronan had known Adam, all he had wanted was more. More time, more knowledge, more out of life. All of it, however, had to be because Adam had gotten it himself, not because someone had handed it over to him. Whatever lay outside of Henrietta was not of a concern to Ronan, but Adam deserved to see the world just as Ronan believed the world deserved to see Adam Parrish.

He had been silent for far too long when Adam blew out a sigh and let his hands slip from his face. “Ronan?” Adam turned, one eyebrow raised. Ronan was still staring at him but Adam was staring right back. They held each other’s gaze for seconds, though it felt much longer. When Ronan didn’t answer, he sighed. “Come on, spit it out.” 

“Mouth’s empty, Parrish. Do you want to check?” Ronan smirked, his grin teasing. 

“Funny.” Adam snorted. He got up from the bed and approached his boyfriend, gently tapping his temple with two fingers. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Ronan reached up and wrapped his hand around Adam’s wrist. As he pulled Adam’s hand away from his head and bringing their hands down, his wristbands slipped down his arm and brushed slightly over Adam’s skin. Ronan slipped his hand into Adam’s. 

Ronan gave Adam’s hand a small squeeze. “Nothing pretty.”

Adam waited, knowing there was no point to argue the truth out of Ronan. If Ronan wanted to tell him, he would. It turned out that he didn’t have to wait long before Ronan pressed his lips together, sucking them in and pushing them back out. 

“You’re leaving me.” Ronan confessed his worry. Adam waited, and Ronan clenched his jaw, seeming to struggle to find his next words. When he did, they spit like sparks from his mouth. “Even Sargent won’t be around! And Gansey’s—”

“You’ll have Noah.” Adam interrupted, thumb stroking Ronan’s hand. “And Matthew.” Chainsaw cried out instantly, flying over at once to perch on Adam’s head. She bent down and nipped at his hair. Adam jumped at the sudden contact, but tried to look up without throwing her off and laughed. With his free hand, he reached up and stroked her side. “And Chainsaw of course.” Chainsaw seemed satisfied with the answer and flapped over to perch on Ronan’s shoulder, pushing her head against his. He turned to look at her and made a face, resulting in Chainsaw cawing at him before returning to the windowsill. Adam couldn’t help but smile at how he treated her.

“I won’t have you.”

Ronan brought his attention back to the situation at hand. Adam sighed and stepped closer, placing a hand on Ronan’s cheek. “I’ll come back.” Adam reminded. “It’ll only be a few months! And I told you, you can visit when you want.” If he had time, Adam knew he would drive back to see Ronan. Adam also knew, however, that Ronan would understand if he was busy in college.

“I’ll miss you, Parrish.”

It wasn’t quite a secret, considering Adam had guessed that already and would miss him too. The admission was a quiet one, and Ronan’s gaze had dropped to the ground. Adam could feel Ronan’s fingers fiddling with his own, jittery though his face stayed calm with a light blush. Easing his head up, Adam stepped forward and kissed him.

The kiss took Ronan by surprise, his eyes widening as the scent of mist and moss engulfed him. Their lips pressed against each other and Adam put a hand on the back of Ronan’s neck to pull him forward. Kissing Ronan Lynch was like having lightning strike your heart, and surviving. The spark ignited Adam and he burned for the boy. As he broke the kiss, Ronan was the one to gasp, staring at Adam’s lips and he moved closer like he wanted more. He paused, just before kissing Adam again, to catch his breath and he smirked. Adam couldn’t help but laugh, though nothing was particularly funny. He was happy.

Ronan’s grin was playful, teasing. “I’m not drowning anymore, Parrish.” He reminded. Adam’s stopped laughing. He inhaled shakily, the memory all too familiar and he closed his eyes. Ronan, not breathing, unconscious, _dyi—_

He didn’t want to remember.

“Adam?” Ronan softly eased him from the memory, squeezing his hand. “Parrish, I’m here.”

“Shut up,” Adam muttered, opening his eyes and meeting Ronan’s concerned stare. Adam mused about how blue eyes were often compared to water, but he knew that Ronan’s eyes were unique. They couldn’t be compared to anything. “Shut up,” he said again, smiling a little, “I _want_ to kiss you.”

Ronan returned the smile and slid his arm around Adam’s waist, pulling him into his hold. Adam’s face almost bumped into his, missing his lips but their noses clashed. Even though they winced, soft laughter escaped them both. Between them, Ronan said, “Then kiss me.”

Adam laughed through his nose, lips hovering close to Ronan’s. Ronan stayed where he was, heart racing in his chest. It wasn’t like kissing Adam Parrish was a completely new experience, but it never failed to take his breath away. This boy who portrayed himself as confusing, mysterious – _unknowable_ – was slowly opening up, letting himself be learned. Ronan couldn’t buy, couldn’t dream such a privilege. The hand on Adam’s waist pressed into his skin, pulling out an unexpected laugh that flew between them. Biting his lip, Adam tilted his head and kissed him again.

It started soft, with Adam’s lips covering his bottom one. Adam was so close that his eyelashes brushed gently against Ronan’s cheek. Adam’s hand on his neck slid up to the back of his head, fingertips tickled by the short hairs. Adam inhaled shakily as he kissed Ronan again, but this time it was Ronan who was pressing into him, bringing them impossibly close. Ronan let go of Adam’s hand in favour of bringing it into his hair, twisting dusty curls in his fingers. Adam whined, gasping as Ronan gave his hair a short tug. His lips parted, giving Ronan the chance to kiss him again. Adam wrapped his arms around Ronan’s neck, shuddering when he felt Ronan’s tongue tentatively lick against his own. Ronan’s body tensed against his own, heat radiating off of him. Warmth brewed in his stomach, twisted in his own chest as Ronan kissed him like it was the last time that he would be able to. There was desperation and longing, months of untold words passed in that kiss and Adam let himself have this moment. He had made it out of Aglionby, he had made it away from his parents and so he deserved to have this.

When they broke away, Adam didn’t open his eyes straight away. In the darkness, all things lingered. The warmth of Ronan’s lips on his own was only a breath away; he could feel it. Ronan rested his forehead against Adam’s but didn’t speak. Adam let his left hand drop, and Ronan did the same with his right. Slowly, he opened his eyes so he could seek out Ronan’s hand. Still, Adam didn’t look up, still looking at Ronan’s lips.

“I need to go soon.” Adam sighed into his mouth. Adam could feel Ronan nod ever so slightly and watched as Ronan’s right hand fiddled with his fingers. Knowing that he was anxious, Adam firmly held his hand in his own and smiled. “Ronan, I’ll—” When Adam lifted his gaze, his heart jumped into his throat. Not quite tears, but almost. Adam kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’ll text you as soon as I arrive.” He whispered.

“Wait,” Ronan held onto him, preventing Adam from walking away from his hold at first. “I… just wait, don’t leave. Not yet.” Ronan chewed on his bottom lip, but he had stopped playing with Adam’s hand. Slowly, he withdrew his hands from Adam and Adam found himself missing that touch. 

Ronan stepped back a little and began to untie one of his leather bands. They were slightly chewed, a little frayed, but still stylish and strong. Adam had never asked him where they were from, but like most things that Ronan seemed to acquire, he suspected they came from a dream. Finally, Ronan let the first bracelet fall from his wrist. It wasn’t anything magnificent to the eye, but they held meaning to Ronan. “Give me your hand.”

Adam blinked.

For as long as he had known Ronan, he always wore them. Five leather bands, wrapped around his pale wrist, covering scars from night horrors. The absence of one seemed so obvious now, considering how each had its own intricate knot to stop them from falling and how each had its own place on Ronan Lynch’s body. “Your hand, Parrish.”

Adam blindly raised his left hand, palm facing down. Ronan tried to smirk and wiped his eyes with his wrist. He sniffed and exhaled slowly. “Let’s hope I can remember how to do this.” 

Ronan began to wrap the leather band around Adam’s wrist. He slid it under his wrist first, then joined it together above. Adam watched Ronan’s fingers work with the care and caution he tended to the animals with. The knot started off rather normal, but Adam frowned when Ronan began to twist together the ends in an intricate manner, until finally it transformed into something that resembled Ronan’s other four bracelets. Adam let Ronan hold onto his wrist. He inspected it, turning his arm this way and that and it took him a few moments to get himself back together. It was a gift; not one of charity, just one of love. Adam opened his mouth, and closed it again. And again. Eventually, he asked. “Why wouldn’t you remember how to do this? Who tied yours?”

“Matthew tied this one the first time.” Ronan said, tapping on the bracelet which now adorned Adam’s tanned skin.

“Just this one?” Adam asked.

“And the last one.” Ronan picked at the lowest bracelet. “Declan helped do these two,” Ronan indicated to two others – one which was now closest to his hand, and the other just above Matthew’s. Then his index finger rested on the one which used to be in the centre of the five. “And Gansey tied the one in the middle. That’s why it’s shit.”

Adam snorted, covering his mouth with his free hand. “It doesn’t look shit.” Perhaps Ronan could tell since he’d seen the other two work at it. Ronan’s grin was feral, as if he were counting on Adam to say it.

“Because he only knows enough to be superficially competent, remember?” Ronan winked. 

Adam shoved his shoulder gently, chuckling despite himself. Ronan quickly caught his hand, fiddling with the bracelet there. It crossed Adam’s mind that he should ask if Ronan was sure he wanted to give such a significant item to him, but before he could ask, Ronan took his hand and kissed the back of it.

The gesture was sweet, and Ronan’s lips were gentle as they kissed his knuckles, then once more at his fingers. Then he turned his hand over and pressed one, little kiss to his palm. Adam waited until Ronan was done and raised his hand to his jaw, the stubble tickling his hand. Ronan blinked and looked up. Though there was a smile, Adam knew he was sad. That was okay. Adam’s thumb brushed over Ronan’s bottom lip, memorising the shape and the feel of it, trying to imagine what it would be like to have those lips mark his skin. 

Closing the space between them, Adam touched Ronan’s lips with his own. Their eyes closed and for the two magicians, time was infinite. Both knew it would be a while before seeing each other again, and they knew there were still challenges in the world. Whether they were in the same town or not, they would always face them together.

Adam only offered three words to him between their kisses. They were soft, but not quiet, clear, but not loud. True, and only for him. 

“Thank you, Ronan.”

**Author's Note:**

> That summary did not do this fic justice, I'll fix it another time.  
> Thank you for reading and, enjoy TRK! ♥  
> Find me on [tumblr!](http://ravenboyparrish.tumblr.com) and if you could, I would appreciate if you [reblogged it!](http://ravenboyparrish.tumblr.com/post/143401792812/)
> 
> Edit: 23/7/16 - Hi! Could you also check out [ Pynch week ](http://pynchweek.tumblr.com/) on tumblr since I'm co-hosting it (and will probably participate in it too)! It would be great if you could spread the word and I hope to see some of you taking part as well! ♥ Thanks!


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